


The Unexpected Visitor

by TiredScienceBro



Series: You Cannot Have One Without the Other [2]
Category: Gotham - Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Apartment, Being and Nothingness, Canon-Typical Violence, Cheap wine, Existentialism, Gotham, M/M, Murder Husbands, Sartre, Stabbing, raining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-19
Updated: 2017-07-19
Packaged: 2018-12-04 01:52:36
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,955
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11544969
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TiredScienceBro/pseuds/TiredScienceBro
Summary: It is a rainy night in Gotham and the Occupant of the apartment at 805 Grundy sits alone reading and drinking wine. Two men stand on the street below staring up into the apartment as the rain beats down on them. One of the men makes his way inside with the intent to reclaim what is his. Hearing a knock on the door, the Occupant has no idea the mistake they are making by answering it.





	The Unexpected Visitor

The rain was beating down heavy over Gotham, the cloud cover made the streets darker than normal by this hour and two figures stand on the sidewalk staring up into the apartment. The neon lettered sign obscured the view into the building above but they could see that there was a light on up there. The taller of the two stands exposed in the downpour, allowing the water to soak through his clothes, sending a cold chill through his body. Making his way across the street he enters the dark alcove where the doorway sits obscured in shadow. It is not a typical apartment building, rather it is a small warehouse with living quarters above that the owner had rented out to make some extra money. The door had been left unlocked, _a mistake_ , but one that wouldn't have stopped this unwanted guest from entering, regardless he would have found a way in. Inside was the small metal staircase that lead to the apartment above. The metal hand rail was biting cold and as he made his way up the steps he was careful not to slip as water dripped off his clothes, still wet from the rain.

Knocking on the large sliding door he waited, listening for sounds of movement inside that might indicate the number of occupants. The droning noise of the many exhaust fans in the corridor made it hard to hear any exact movements. Eventually he heard the sound of the door unlocking and beginning to slide open, _another mistake_. Opening only several inches the Occupant's silhouette appeared at the door.

"Yes?" they asked clearly weary of the unexpected visitor. 

"I'm dreadfully sorry," the Visitor replied, "but my car has broken down and I don't have a phone. I saw the light on up here and wondered if you had one I could use?"  
The Occupant slid the door open further, looking him up and down clearly considering if he looked like a threat or not. The Visitor knew his tall lanky appearance would play to his advantage, he didn't look threatening and his glasses, shirt, tie and woolen jumper did nothing but add to that image especially considering he was soaking wet from the rain. Clearly deciding the Visitor did not pose a threat the Occupant slide the door open further, permitting him to enter. _A mistake_. 

The Visitor made his way into the apartment shivering and doing his best to wipe the rain drops off of his glasses so he could see properly. The Occupant slid the door closed behind them and made their way across to the kitchen bench where a phone was sitting. The room was dimly lit, a single lamp next to the couch the only source of light apart from the neon sign that spilled a green glow over everything as it flickered. The place was small, only one room with a bathroom attached. The bed sat in the corner with only one side made up indicating to the Visitor that this must be the solo occupant. There were only several pieces of furniture and several large cardboard boxes which occupied another corner of the room. It looked sad and lonely here, nothing like its former appearance that had been bursting with character and adoration. 

"Here you go," the Occupant said handing the phone over. "There is a radiator over there you can warm yourself by." 

"Thank you very much, you don't know how much I appreciate it." Taking the phone the Visitor moved over to the familiar radiator standing with his legs next to it to get some warmth through him. Dialing the number he stared out of the large bay window down onto the street. Below he could see the silhouette of a man holding an umbrella to shield himself from the rain, his lover. He dialed the number, smiling back nervously over his shoulder at the Occupant as he waited for an answer on the other end. Finally, after several rings, he saw the man below pull out his phone and answer. The Visitor explained to the man on the other end that his car had broken down and he would need to be picked up, taking care to use the agreed upon phrases that would indicate how he was to proceed. The man on the other end responded accordingly, in case the Occupant was able to overhear the conversation. "What's the address here?" the Visitor asked not looking back. 

"805 Grundy," the Occupant answered. Hanging up the phone the visitor walked across the room and handed it back to the Occupant. 

"Thank you again, it shouldn't be longer than twenty minutes. I'll wait outside." He made his way towards the door.

"Wait," the Occupant called out as he reached the door. The Visitor stopped, his back was still to the Occupant, a small grin appearing unseen on his face. "You can sit up here while you wait," they offered. "The weather is horrible out there." _Another mistake_. 

The Visitor took a seat in the spare armchair, it was old and worn as were the few other pieces of furniture in this room he observed. The Occupant fetched a second wine glass from the kitchen and brought it over, pouring a drink from the wine bottle that sat on the coffee table between them. Next to the already half full glass of the Occupant was a paperback they had clearly been reading before the knock at the door. _Being and Nothingness_ , a french philosophy text, heavy going stuff for a quiet night in alone. 

"Interesting choice," the Visitor offered indicating the book. He was somewhat familiar with the broad themes of the book but by no account an expert. 

"My son's," the Occupant replied sadly. "Found it mixed in with a few of my own after I was forced to move out. He always talked about that stuff and I never understood it. Figured I should give it a go."

The Visitor nodded but found this information was too easily surrendered, it was pretty obvious the Occupant was glad for some company. They were still wearing a wedding ring so separated but unwillingly, the Visitor supposed. 

"Only through the eyes of the other do we truly exist," the Visitor mused, staring down at the book.

"Something like that. Nonsense if you ask me." 

"I disagree," the Visitor found himself saying. "We are defined by the men who try to stop us," he whispered to himself under his breath. The Occupant simply shrugged in response and drank more of his wine. "Nice place," the Visitor offered looking around the apartment realizing that there was no point attempting to continue the philosophical conversation.

"I hate it," the Occupant replied sourly. It took the Visitor every once of self control to not become visibly angry at this statement. "Just another reminder of my everyday failings," they continued pouring more wine into his glass before taking a large sip from it. The Visitor gripped the arm of the chair tightly in an attempt to vent his growing frustration. 

"Are you okay?" the Occupant asked clearly concerned by the reaction his visitor was having. 

"Fine," he responded shortly attempting to calm himself down, he didn't want to lose control of the situation. He took up his own wine glass and took a sip. The second it hit his lips he wanted to spit it back into the glass, it was cheap awful stuff. "May I use your bathroom?" He made a show of looking around for where it was even though he knew already. 

"Over there," the Occupant gestured over their shoulder. Making his way into the bathroom the Visitor observed himself in the mirror, his reflection staring back. He wasn't surprised that the Occupant didn't recognize him, his wet hair flat on his head from the rain combined with his modest outfit that barely had any green except his tie. If they knew who he was then they would never have willingly opened the door for him, wouldn't have allowed him to wait in the apartment for his 'ride' and certainly wouldn't have allowed him to come into the bathroom. Smiling at his reflection, _who winked back_ , he then stepped silently into the main room unseen observing the Occupant from behind who was once again pouring more wine into the glass. "You need to jiggle the handle," the Occupant called out as they screwed the lid back onto the wine bottle, clearly unaware that the Visitor was back in the room with them. "The flush is broken. Damn thing, they should just knock this whole place down and build something new over the top of it." 

Hearing this was the last piece of motivation the Visitor needed. Moving silently across the room, the sound of the rain drowning out any sound his wet shoes might have made, he withdrew the switchblade from his pocket. Standing over the back of the couch and without warning he drove the blade into the Occupant's neck, blood spraying all over his arm as he withdrew and stabbed again. The Occupant screamed at first but after several stabs to the neck the screams were replaced with a gurgling noise as the blood found its way out of the wounds. The Occupant began to twitch uncontrollably, knocking over the wine glasses and bottle on the coffee table as their legs kicked out uncontrollably. Seizing them by the hair, the Visitor dragged the Occupant up and stabbed several more times through the chest, his anger expelling itself with every blow that punctured the Occupant's torso. As he withdrew the blade for the final time the twitching began to stop and the Occupant's blood covered them both running down onto the couch, soaking into the upholstery. The Visitor could feel the blood on him, soaking his now ruined clothes, warm and sticky against his cold skin. Finally, exhausted from the sudden burst of aggression he let the previous occupant's body fall forward. It landed on the coffee table with wet thud, blood flowing out over the book that still lay propped open there. The Visitor looked down at the ruined book as he continued to exhale heavily. _Shame_ , that was what he should have felt. Killing some innocent person in their own home without warning or due cause, but instead he felt _alive_ , burning with pleasure at the rush he had felt ending their life.

He watched as the blood began to mix in with the cheap wine that had been knocked over, dripping off the coffee table into the floorboards. He would have to scrub extra hard to get it out later. As it seeped into the furniture the smell of blood and wine filled the Visitor's nostrils, it reminded him of the night that the unfortunate man with the bag over his head had provided him and his own visitor at the time with similar entertainment, except their wine had been much higher quality. He stared down admiring his work, listening to the familiar sound of the beating rain against the large windows. The blood stained switchblade was still clutched tightly in his hand. He absentmindedly began to wipe the blade clean on his trousers as he continued to stare down at the bloody yet beautiful scene. 

It wasn't long before there was a knock at the door and breaking his gaze finally he moved to answer it. Sliding it open he revealed his lover, who was untouched by the rain, holding a dripping umbrella by his side.

"You're covered in blood," the Lover observed running his fingers over the sleeve of the now ruined jumper. 

"Just the way you like me," the new Occupant responded pulling the Lover into a kiss.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope people enjoyed my little experiment with a different style of writing. I've always wanted Edward to get his apartment back so that's what prompted me to write this.
> 
> High five to anyone who got the _shame_ reference!


End file.
